Blog

In today’s culture there is a tremendous amount of pressure to look and be a certain way. Our culture’s deepest hunger has become the desire of the flesh instead of the love of our Creator. Our world is consumed with how we look, how popular we are, and how obsessed we are with keeping up with the latest trends. We try to be something we aren’t by fitting ourselves into the mold the world has created for us. Maybe you are finding your identity in one of these things? Well I’m here to tell you that those things can’t and won’t bring fulfillment. We are created to be so much more. We have been fearfully and wonderfully made [Psalm 139:13] in the image of God [Genesis 1:27]If you know anything about me, you know that I love to run! I love health and fitness (I was a nutrition major)! Not finding my identity in my ability or appearance is something that the Lord had to teach me in the years past. One verse He used to speak to me is 1 Timothy 4:7 “Rather, train yourself in godliness, for the training of the body has a limited benefit, but godliness is beneficial in every way, since it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.”I love this verse so much and it really helped to shape my passion for health and fitness. Paul tells us that physical training has limitedbenefit but training for godliness has eternal, never endingworth. If we are so serious about our physical training, whether it be athletics, making the best grades, or making the most money, how much more do we need to train our bodies for godliness?While finding our ultimate identity in our bodies (or anything else but Jesus Christ) won’t bring fulfillment, they are a gift and we are called to take care of them. That is what the Lord had to show me; the balance in taking care of my body while not letting it become my ultimate identity.[1 Corinthians 6:19] “Don't you know that your body is a sanctuary of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought at a price. Therefore glorify God in your body.”We are the body of Christ and we all have a role to play in the church. [1 Corinthians 12:18-20] But now God as placed each one of the parts in one body just as He wanted. And if they were all the same part, where would the body be? Now there are many parts, yet one body.We must work together to function properly. If we as believers each have a specific role in the body, we ourselves have to take care of our own bodies so that we can be strong and fight the good fight of faith [1 Timothy 6:12].You will never find peace if the foundation of your purpose/identity is not to glorify God. You will always be chasing after the things of this world wanting more and more.Ask God to give you eyes to see the way He has uniquely and beautifully made every single person in His image. Show honor and dignity to everyone who crosses your path.Instead of trying to fit into the mold the world has created, lets live like “we are the clay, and You [Lord] are our potter; we all are the work of Your hands.” [Isaiah 64:8]